The name "Claremont Rug Company" almost seems a misnomer; in fact what they are selling are art…read moreworks for the floor. A visit to their beautiful gallery in north Oakland is like being in a bazaar in ancient Persia. This is one of the premier sources for true antique Persian rugs in the U.S. and we are fortunate to have them in the Bay Area. It is important to emphasize that this is not the place to go for the kind of new Persian-design rugs which can be found in most rug stores. With the current international sanctions on imports from Iran, these new rugs are woven in Pakistan, India or China, can be of reasonable quality and relatively inexpensive and may be all you need. But if you are interested in the real thing - antique hand knotted Persian rugs (at least 80 years old) with stunning natural vegetable dye colors in excellent condition - Claremont Rug Company is the place to go. The experience of visiting their gallery is unlike a visit to a typical rug showroom where a salesman will pull back a corner of each rug in a large pile of rugs in the approximate size range you are looking for. At Claremont Rug Company you are strongly advised to make an appointment so that you have the gallery to yourself. You most likely will be greeted by Jan David Winitz, the very personable owner. He is a longtime collector and extremely knowledgeable on all types of Persian rugs. After determining the correct size, Mr. Winitz will use his uncanny color sense to pick out rugs to show from his vast inventory. With his crew, Mr. Winitz lays out each rug so that you can view it in the whole from all sides. In this way my wife and I found three good prospects for each of the rooms where we needed rugs. We left the gallery with excellent pictures and descriptions of each of the rugs. There was absolutely no high-pressure salesmanship whatsoever. After a few days, when we determined that we wanted to take the next step, we called to make an appointment to have the rugs shown in our home. Mr. Winitz and his crew then came to our home and patiently laid out each prospective rug in its intended place. After we had chosen the rugs we wanted to purchase, they were taken away for cleaning and minor repairs and then returned and installed complete with padding. Claremont Rug Company obviously represents the very top of the rug market. These fine old rugs are not inexpensive, but we felt the prices for the rugs we purchased were reasonable given their extremely high quality and excellent condition and that we therefore absolutely got high value for the amount we paid. In addition, the whole selection and purchasing experience was very pleasant and satisfying, which is not always the case in buying rugs. If you are in the market for the very best ancient Persian rugs, we would highly recommend Claremont Rug Company. Even if you are not currently in the market, but just like the look of these beautiful works of art, you should get their brochures or catalog. Christine Winitz, Jan's wife and a collector herself, puts these together and they are true works of art on their own.

Shopping for a carpet here is an amazing experience. The carpets are works of art and the owner…read morehelps you pick one suited to your space. If you want to feel comfortable and happy while shopping for a carpet, go here.

My beloved 5'x8' hand-hooked wool rug by Claire Murray (a very big deal, very popular rug…read moredesigner/manufacturer in New England) was extremely dirty.... I've had for a dozen years, but have never been able to trust anyone enough to risk losing this VERY EXPENSIVE rug that I'm so attached to .. if the cleaning went awry. Well, friends know + recommended Tony at Kabul.. so I took a chance. Turns-out I needn't have worried -- Tony & team are just that amazing. Utterly brilliant. I feel as if this rug has been re-born -- the colors are lively again, and "pop" .. and because so attractive again, the entire look + vibe of my bedroom has elevated! The turnaround was quick & a nice surprise. The price was outstanding as well -- but even if had paid 3x what did, I'd still deem this cleaning the best expense of 2021! Wish could give Tony + Kabul more than 5 Stars! :)

I have bought three rugs from Pasargad Rug Company and was quite impressed with the quality and…read morerichness of these rugs. Mohsen is not only the owner of his business for the past 30 years but also a craftsman of the art. He has a really great in-depth knowledge and connection to these rugs. If you don't know anything about good quality rugs, he will definitely have you acquiring new-found appreciation for the craftsmanship and artistry of these rugs - many of them 100% wool w/ authentic vegetable dye. Besides the more modern, oriental rugs, Mohsen also has an array of personal Persian antiques that he acquires from his home country Iran. I find Mohsen to be personable and very willing to help. He gives a good price for the quality and size. Although located in the SF Design Center, Pasargad Rug Company is located on the fourth floor and is open to the public. It is definitely worth the trip.

Our new Vaheed Taheri area rug for our living room is absolutely amazing…read more After 20+ years and with children grown & flown, we embarked on an upgrade to our living room. After browsing the usual retail sources for rugs, we peeked into Vaheed's showroom in the SF Design Center. Vaheed introduced us to his silk and wool rugs, and worked with us on finding the perfect blend of colors. James managed the purchasing, manufacturing and delivery process, which progressed seamlessly. The final product is visually spectacular, like a precious work of art.

Vaheed's rugs are amazing. We have purchased 4 from him and they look amazing and wear so well. Our…read morefirst 3 rugs were purchased directly from his showroom in 2010 for our living room, dining room and hallway. The dining room rug was a bit to large so he was able to size it for us so it fit perfectly. Both rugs look as good as the day we got them. Our third rug was custom designed and created by Vaheed in 2018. With the help of our designer Vaheed helped us chose the colors to work with our furniture. Vaheed is wonderful to work with. I am always amazed by how quickly he understands what will work your our style, space and budget. Do not hesitate to visit his shop and work with him. You will end up with rugs that are for a lifetime.

Our home has a long dimly lit hall with some very eclectic art on the walls. I knew exactly what…read morewould work... soft subtle light colors. Linda swept me off my feet with her small but brilliant collection of rugs. After I described the hall, she showed me a lovely rug that was just perfect for our home. Linda's collection is just wonderful! I am currently sitting at home trying to figure out where else we could accommodate at least one more of Linda's lovely rugs. BTW Linda's prices are amazing! You don't have to negotiate to stay on budget. Thank you so so very much! You made my day!

Sadly, Linda is closing up shop soon, but I bought three rugs from her and can't be happier with…read morethem. They're unlike any rugs I've ever seen before (I guess they're tribal afghan rugs?) and the designs are really pretty and unique. She might not be selling rugs for much longer so if you're in the market I'd hit her up asap.

I can't recommend Randy enough. He brought a bunch of rugs to our home so that we could try them,…read moreand he was really helpful as we made our selection. His rugs are authentic and he has a pretty amazing selection. We purchased two rugs from him and we love them both. He was incredibly patient (we are really indecisive) and he's just a really nice guy. You can't beat the prices too!

I found Randy on Yelp so it's only fitting that I write a review for him here. I'm very happy with…read moremy purchase - the whole experience with Randy was so fun and memorable! My husband and I were looking for rugs for our new home. We were looking for something special because it's the first place we are able to furnish together, our first "grown up" place. After looking at Randy's website, we made an appointment over email. It's not like going to a rug store - you will be meeting with him in person so it may take a little coordination of schedules. And weather is a factor. Since we live close to his storage unit, and we wanted to see the extent of his rugs, we decided to go to him. I understand he also is willing to bring rugs to your home, which would be a bonus if you've done your research and want to see how specific rugs work in your own house. Randy was very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. You can tell he loves rugs and the culture that goes along with them, a true collector. He brought out about 20 rugs and displayed them right on the concrete drive in front of the storage unit! I've been to rug stores before, and never had this reaction, but I liked at least 90% of them! In other words, I could have purchased a lot more than I actually did. We bought two 5' x 9' rugs and we absolutely love them. They changed the whole feel of our house. Thanks, Randy! Things to know before you go. -Make sure you check out his "Devil Dingo Planet" link, which goes to a Picasa site with more photos. These photos are more up-to-date. -Make a list of rugs you like from the website to give Randy an idea of your aesthetic and dimensional preferences (and budget). -Allow a little extra time for scheduling, especially if you work M-F. -Bring cash or a check. PS I'm going to put "moderate" as the price. However, be prepared that handmade rugs are not cheap. I think Randy's prices were very reasonable, considering the quality.

We've had a great experience with Access Rugs! We were introduced at the Alameda Antiques Fair…read morewhere we met the owner Ata who helped us find the perfect 8x10 rug for our bedroom. It is a beautiful design and quality and really brings the room together. We reached back out for Access Rug's cleaning services after we purchased a vintage Heriz rug from Facebook Marketplace and realized it smelled like wet dog after getting it home. They explained the whole rug cleaning process to us and how he would ensure the 40 year old rug was preserved through the process. He came and picked it up and was very communicative throughout the process. The rug took a few extra days to dry than expected, and Ata was so apologetic and even offered to bring us a loaner rug because we had family coming into town!! Totally above and beyond! He then came and dropped the rug back off and it looks and smells fantastic. We trust Access Rugs for any of our rug needs in the future.

I am so appreciative that Access Rugs came to my house to pick up my rugs and then return them when…read morethey were clean. In the past, I had to drop off my rugs. They also helped to move furniture for pick up and return. The rugs were well cleaned, and the fringe on some of the rugs was not damaged. I can't same the same for a past company that cleaned my rugs and the fringe came back looking damaged. I felt like a valued customer, and I hope I will always feel that way. Some business people are only "nice" until they grow their business, and then you no longer matter. My gut tells me that is not the case here. They will get my business again.

I highly recommend this place if you're looking for furniture. Christina has helped me selecting…read morefurniture for the past 20+ years and I keep coming back. She is the BEST!!!